Text-processing computer applications such as word processor and email applications use grammar-checking software modules A grammar-checking module examines a sentence of text for errors or deviations from simple grammar rules for a particular language being used.
There is a desire to improve French language grammar checkers so that the grammar checker can detect and correct an error called incomplete negation. Incomplete negation occurs when a negated verbal phrase is missing the particle “ne” or its elided form “n'” in expressions with negation words, e.g. expressions such as “ne . . . pas”, “ne . . . rien”, “ne . . . personne,” “n' . . . jamais”, “ne . . . plus”, “n' . . . que”, and the like.
However, with the French language, difficult problems are encountered in any attempt to correct for incomplete negation using a grammar checker program operating on a computer. Words such as “pas”, “que” sometimes are negation words that require the particle “ne”, and at other times these same words are not negation words and have other semantic meanings that do not involve negation and do use the particle “ne.” The grammar checker does not have access to the writer's intended meaning to help it in ascertaining whether a “ne” is needed in the sentence.
A method of grammar checking and a grammar checking computer program are needed that provide the desired checking and correction of incomplete negation in French language phrases.